The current Teacher Academy of Maryland program, at Parkside High School, partners with the new prekindergarten 4-year-old program that opened at the high school at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year. Adjacent to the Child Development CTE classrooms this accredited, EXCELS Level 5 prekindergarten classroom serves as the lab setting for CTE students acquiring their CDA and is taught by a seasoned prekindergarten teacher and instructional assistant with successful experiences working with students, families, administrators, and supervisors. The prekindergarten staff have welcomed the TAM students into the classroom for hands-on experiences, special projects and executing their lesson plans with students.
The WCPS Early Childhood team is making significant strides in implementing a systemic change by establishing a mixed delivery system in collaboration with our partnered private programs, which have formalized their engagement through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with WCPS. Parents now have the option to register their children for attendance in their designated attendance area or opt for enrollment in one of the two accredited private programs available through the WCPS Online Registration Portal. Our private partners undergo specialized training on digital 2024 Wicomico County Public Schools Blueprint Implementation Plan 8 platforms and are granted access to their students' electronic records, ensuring seamless integration and continuity of educational services. Students enrolled in these designated private programs are automatically transitioned into the WCPS Kindergarten program the subsequent academic year, ensuring a smooth educational trajectory for all participants.
2024-2025 Pillar 1 Goals
Addition of two new Judy Center sites at West Salisbury and Chipman Elementary
Increase the number of highly qualified early childhood candidates
Improve Kindergarten readiness in the areas of literacy and mathematics
Maintain EXCELS Level 5 ratings for public and private Prekindergarten programs